The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-08-26
Another Railroad Accident.
A FRIGHTFUL SMASH UP ON THE BALTI
MORE AND OHIO IN WASHINGTON.

huObutI hhllIOau hOClubnG
FRIGHTFUL SMASH UP ON THE BALTT- |
MORE AND OHIO IN WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, August 1.-THE few
residents in the neighborhood of the
Baltimore and Ohio "Y" who were up
and on the street at $50 this morning
witnessed a thrilling and startling
scene. 1t was no less spectacle than
that of train of cars leaping from
the track and rushing with the speed
of lightning and the crash of thunder
bolt through brick house. In an in
slant the tram and the house we're in
heap of ruins, and the track for some
distance was Uttered with debris. The
train to which the accident occurred
was train No. A, the St. Louis, Chicago
and Cincinnati express, and coming
from the West, due here at 6.20.
| About $50 it came laundering into the
city over the Metropolitan branch, and
at the curve, nearly mile away from
the "Y,' began whistliug "down
brakes For some reason the brakes
were not put down. The air-brakes, it
was stated, did not work and the engi-
neer began blowing his distress whistle
for the brakemen to put on the regu-
lar brakes.
Either the brakemen did not heed
the signal or it was not given in time
to be of use, for the train, flying at a
frightful rate, came laundering on
towards the sharp curve at the "Y."
On the south side of the "Y' in the
little corner made by the intersection
of the tracks was located the railroad
signal-tower, brick structure, three
stories high, where men are employed
to regulate the signals and the switches
at the "Y.' When the train turned
the sharp curve of the "Y," with fear
full headway, the Car behind the engine
jumped the track and smashed into the
signal-tower, and in an instant there
was wreck which for confusion has
seldom been equalled in railroad annals.
The engine was dragged from the
track, and, ploughing through the dirt
and mud distance of $50 feet, rolled
completely over There it lay, giving
forth its steam and hot water in great
jets. The steam plowed up the dirt
and covered the house in front of the
engine with fine layer of yellow
mud that looked like fresh coat of
paint. The steam and water were
blown through the house, and some of
the inmates were badly scalded. Near
the engine lay Hamilton Brosius, the
engineer, crushed and dying and his
fireman with several bones broken.
But behind the engine was a scene Of
panic and confusion. One car was
crushed and nearly buried under the
tracks and timbers of the demolished
building. Two sleeping coaches and
one passenger coach remained on the
track. The mail car, the express Cal
and the baggage Car were rolled over
and their sides were crushed. The rooI
of one Car protruded from the ruins oi
the building.
The disaster, of course, at once
, created intense excitement. A fire
| alarm was sounded, which quickly
brought the fire department and the
. police to the scene. Ambulances were
3 hurriedly sent for, and corps of ply
siclans came, summoned from every di
3 rection. Firemen, policemen, railroad
, men and the citizens went to worl
with coats off to clear out the debris
, Many injured passengers we're remoy
, ed and taken to neighboring houses o.
: drug stores or to hospitals. In thi
8 way eighteen or twenty people wer'
a got out Of the wreck, some of then
r only slightly injured, others with bone
D broken and bodies badly bruised ant
cut.
!. In the signal-tower, on the uppe
| floor or observatory, William Baxter,
| railroad signalman, was at work. Oh
r the ground floor Joseph Haley, younE
man employed by the railroad com
: pany, was engaged cleaning lamps
!, Baxter, it appears, realized the impend
ing danger in time. He gave shou
r to Haley, and leaped from the towe
o to the ground. He broke his arm il
the fall, and was pretty badly shaker
s up, but seems to have escaped NOR
Y serious injury. Haley below, however
n was buried in the ruins of the house
/ When he was disinterred it was foun,
|. that the timbers had fallen 80 as t.
protect him from the tons of brick an
mortar above him. He was badl
frightened and bruised and blinded b
: the lime and plaster.
When the men began to clear ava
ha lal
y ris very much excited, who would no
b leave, but showed fight. He dug des
:, perstely at the broken timbers an
3 heaps of bricks. When he was order
G ed away by a policeman he turne,
f savagely and said "lf you don't leav
y me alone I'll knock HI out of yor
i My son is there" He was let alon
o and continued his desperate struggl
:. until he had uncovered the bruised an
8 battered form of his son.
r Mr.. and Mrs. William Benson, a
l. elderly couple from Winchester, Inc
y lana, were badly bruised There wer
r three Railroad Mail Service clerk
y Messrs. G. III. Hooton, L. G. Morri
and j. III. Brown, in the postal car 9
n the time of the accident and althoug
r the car was nearly demolished the me
G escaped with some bad bruises an
: scratches. Hooton and Morrill, live i
d Baltimore, their run being from Ora
l. ton, w. Va, to Baltimore. j. T
d Brown lives here.
D. Mrs. Augusta Barnes, a lady on h'
3, way to her home in Germany, had h,
n head badly cut. She had considerab
e money and her tickets to New Yoi
l. and Germany. She was removed
r. Providence Hospital.
Ie William Buck, German, 81 yea
W of age, was seriously and perhaps fats
T. ly injured. lie, with his wife, was c
g. his way from Cincinnati to German
5. He received six severe cuts on Il
ID head, his arm was badly wrenched al
s. he was also internally injured. He W
Sc removed to Providence Hospital by Il
10 police. His wife was uninjured. 81
le accompanied her husband to the he
le pital. Some of the passengers on 4
wrecked train returned to their Wel